Sole leather and method of producing the same



May M, 1929* A. W. PATTON SOLE LEATHER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Oct. 8, 192? INZ "EN TOR Patented May, 14, 1929.

uui'rso "TES ASHLEY W. IPATTON, OF MILWAUKEE, 'WISCONfiIN, ASSIGNDR TO THE DRISOLE TAN- ITINE- GKIMPANY, INC., CUDAHY, W'IbCONSIN, A OORPORA'IIQN OF WISCONSIN- SOLE LEATHER AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE EAME.

Application filed October 3, 1927. Serial No. 224,975.

The invention relates to sole leather.

For many years sole leather has been furnished to the shoe manufacturer with a smooth surface grain 'side and owing to the a fact that there are small imperfections in the grain, the manufacturer, in finishing the i shoe, usually buffs the outer surface of the sole to remove these imperfections. This buffing operation isexpenslve and by providis ing sole leather in whichthegrain side is embossed throughout the greater portion of its area the butting is eliminated, the leather is given a finished appearance and needs 110 subsequent finishing treatment' by the manufacturer and the embossing actually compacts the outer surface of the leather and produces a more eficient tread surface. It has also been the practice for manufacturers of shoes to either stamp or brand their name or tradeith name across the sole of the shoe after the sole had been bufled and finished. As the manufacturer of sole leather desires to create a market for his product he must provide some way of affixing this mark. Heretofore it has 2315 been customary for manufacturers of sole leather to cover the entire outer sole surface with a repetition of their name or trade-name in parallel lines or columns, but since in the cutting ofa'piece of soleleather the cutter must frequently place his sole-cutting die at various angles, the manufacturers name or trade-name will a pear at all sorts of angles in soles cut from t e same piece. The ObJBCt of this invention is to provide a piece of sole leather in which the embossing produces a uniform ap earance no matter in what direction the so e is cut from the piece and in which the manufacturers name or tradename is so plac d that it can be readily dlstinto guished at any angle from which the sole is viewed, and to provide a method of producing the embossed product.

The drawing shows a portion of a piece of solo leather embodying the invention.

By the present invention the sole leather comes, to the manufacturer with its outer surface completely finished so that it is not necessary for the manufacturer to do anything but cut out the soles therefrom and aiiix them to the shoes, since the embossing is done in such a way that no matter in what direction the sole die is placed upon the leather the embossed design, except for the marginal portion thereof, will always produce a uniform appearance and the manufacturers .at any angle will have an embossed design name or trade-name will always be readily visible. i

To accomplish this purpose the essential feature of the embossin is theprovision of a plurality of circles, designated on the drawmg by the numeral 2, that are arranged closely together and preferably substantially tangent to each other throughoutsthe piece of leather. Within each of these circles a deslgnating name 3, such as the trade-name or the manufacturers name, is embossed so that 11; appears in different positions in adjacent circles with the result that no matter from What direction the sole is viewed and from what angle it is cut from the piece this name can be easily read. I

As shown, the name 3 is arranged in an are within the circle and this is the preferred arrangernent, but itv is obvious that it may be disposed therein in other ways. The remainder of the area within the circlemay be embossed in various ways such as by a plurality of straight lines 4, it being noted that these designs within the circle are oriented differently for adjacent circles so that the whole effect is to produce an embossed surface of uniform appearance no matter from what direction the sole is cut from the piece. As the greater surface ofthe leather is embossed in the manner above described, by a suitable die, the grain side or tread surfaceof the sole will be compacted and thus increase the wearresisting qualities of the sole. Furthermore, the embossing operation has the effect of hid ing any minor imperfections in the grain side of the leather, thereby increasing its cutting value. These imperfections have heretofore been removed by the separate and expensive step of butting.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. As a new article of manufacturaa piece of sole leather having the greater portion of its grain side compacted by embossing, the embossing being carried out in a series of closely arranged juxtaposed. circles with a 100 design Withinjeach circle,-the designs within adjacent circles having difierent axes of vorlentation whereby a sole cut from the leather of uniform appearance. 10s

2. As a new article of manufacture, a piece of sole leather having the greater portion of its grain side compacted by embossing, the embossing being carried out in a series of closely arranged juxtaposed circles with a no designating name within each circle so arranged relative to that of an adjacent circle that the name may be easily read no matter from what direction the sole is cut from the leather.

3. The method of finishing a piece of sole leather so that soles may be cut therefrom and have their tread surface in a finished condition as cut which consists in embossing on the grain side of the leather a series of closely arranged juxtaposed designs whereby the sole may be cut from the piece at any angle and the embossed design will produce a uniform appearance in the finished sole.

4. The method of finishin a piece of sole leather so that the soles may cut therefrom and have their tread surface in a finished condition as out which consists in embossing on the grain side of the leather a series of closely arranged juxtaposed circles with a designating name and a design of adjacent circles being oriented differently whereb a sole cut from the piece at an angle will ave' an embossed design of uni orm appearance and the designating name may be read no matter from what direction it is viewed.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ASHLEY W. PATTON. 

